Multi-character readout assembly



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JOHN A. BELANICH United States Patent 3,153,362 h'iULTI-(II IARACTERREADQUT ASSEMBLY .l'ohn A. Eelanich, 3101 Via Amalia, San Diego 11,Calif. Filed May 31, 1963, Ser. No. 284,549 1 Claim. ('Cl. 340-4378)This invention relates generally to numeral indicators and particularlyto readout device that displays illuminated numerals.

Background Readout devices of various kinds are well known in the art.Among those most commonly used for readout and permanent record are typeprinters, card punchers, magnetic tapes, and microfilm when the kind ofdata to be displayed is temporary in nature, as in digital voltmetersand some types of computers, cathode ray tubes, character display tubes,and counters may be used.

Mechanical counters have been widely used for displaying numerical data.Due to inertia and friction, however, mechanical counters are too slowfor use in high speed equipment, and devices with faster response mustbe used in such equipment.

The instant invention is a readout device that responds instantly toelectrical signals for temporary display of illuminated numerals andother symbols.

Objects It is a principal object of this invention to provide a readoutdevice that displays illuminated symbols in a common easily visiblearea.

It is another object of this invention to povide an illuminated readoutdevice which is very compact and can be mounted on the front of a panelor other structure for ease of access and visibility.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an illuminatedreadout device .that displays symbols selectively at high speed.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a compact andreliable readout device for a variety of uses in electronic equipment,such as computers, digital voltmeters, and the like.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention consists in thenovel combination and arrangement of elements as illustrated in thedrawings that form a material part of this disclosure, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of the readout unit;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevat on view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2,showing the unit mounted on a panel;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a typical transparent plate;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevation view of a suitable mounting panel;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 6;and

FIGURE 8 is a partially sectioned side elevation view showing themounting of a single unit.

Similar characters of reference indicate similar or identical elementsand portions throughout the specification and throughout the views ofthe drawings.

Detailed Description Referring to the several figures of the drawing, aboxlike rectangular case it) fabricated from insulating material, suchas plastic has a frontal display opening 12 between covered endport-ions 14, and a back plate 16. The end portions 14 and the backplate 16 contain holes 18 for insertion of installation screws. Backplate 16 also has a number of openings 22 retaining electric light bulbs24.

A number of plates 30 of transparent material, such as Lucite, haveengraved on the face thereof a numerical symbol as indicated generallyat 32 in FIGURE 5. A sufficient number of plates 30 are provided toinclude the ten digits of the decimal number system and the decimalpoint 28. Each plate 36 also contains holes 18 for mounting screws andapertures 34 which correspond to openings 22 in back plate 16. The innerwalls of all apertures 34, except one different one in each plate, asindicated at 36, are coated with an opaque, reflective material 38,which is also applied to at least one face of each plate on the endport-ions surrounding said aperture as indicated at 39.

Plates 30 are stacked so that symbols 32 are superimposed on one anotherand holes 18 and apertures 34 are aligned. The stacked plates 30 thenare installed in case 10 so that symbols 32 are visible in displayopening 12, as in FIGURE 1. Plates 30 are secured in case 10 by backplate 16, which can be cemented or otherwise se cured in any suitablemanner, the aligned openings 22 and apertures 34 forming sockets 40 sothat bulbs 24 may be slidably inserted and retained therein.

Case 18 is secured to a mounting panel 42 by means of screws 20, thecentral contact 43 of each bulb 24 then being engaged by an electricalterminal 44 in said mounting panel, common ground terminals 46 alsobeing connected to a metallic strip or coating 48 on back plate 16,against which the casings 51? of the bulbs make common connection.Alternatively back plate 16 could be en tirely conductive. The mountingpanel 42 is preferably of the type illustrated with the terminalscomprising resilient fingers cut in the panel, the resilient contactsengaging the bulbs and making it unnecessary to have separate bulbretaining means. As will be apparent from FIGURES 3 and 4, all of thebulbs 24 extend the same distance into sockets 4t).

Bulbs 24 are energized one at a time by electrical signals connected toterminals 43, light from each bulb 24 being reflected by opaque,reflective material 38 through uncoated aperture 3% in one of plates 30.Light thus reflected is transmitted through plate 30, illuminating andoutlining sharply the respective symbol 28 or 32 engraved thereon, theilluminated symbol being clearly visible in display opening 12. Thecovered end portions 14 of case 10 mask the light from the illuminatedends of bulbs 24, while back plate 16 confines the light inside case 10.

A number of cases it? may be mounted side by side on mounting panel 42for simultaneous display of as many digits as desired. For convenience achannel 52 can be cut in the back plate 16 and casing It? to accommodatethe associated wiring. Thus, the instant invention provides a compactreadout device for many different applications, the device beinginstantly responsive to electrical signals. The mounting on the front ofa panel, made possible by the compactness of the unit, greatlyfacilitates servicing, since only the two screws 20 need be removed toreplace or repair a unit.

I claim:

In an illuminated readout device, the combination comprising:

a plurality of transparent plates, each having a plurality of aperturesin the end portions thereof and a symbol engraved in one surface betweensaid end portions, similarly positioned apertures in all plates beingaligned to form sockets for light bulbs, all apertures except one ineach plate being coated with an opaque reflective material, said symbolsbeing superimposed on one another;

an uncoated electric light bulb inserted in each socket so a caseenclosing said plates, said case having a window that light from saidbulb is reflected by said refiecin the central portion thereof forviewing said symtive material through the uncoated aperture,- illumibolsand closed end portions masking the illuminated nating said symbol; allof said bulbs extending the ends of said bulbs.

a same distance into said sockets; 5 a a means for selectivelyenergizing said light bulbs and Refefellses Cited in the file of this Pilluminating said symbols one at 'a time including a a UNITEDSTATESPATENTS mountlng panel having resilient ternnnals for indi- 2,751,584Isbom June 19, 1956,

vidual contact with said bulbs when said case is secured to thepanel,said terminals constituting the 10 Ietaim'ng'means for the bulbs; and a2,765,458 Hoover Oct, 2, 1956

